NAMES AND GAMES Prosecutors appeal ruling on Kobes accuser

DENVER  Prosecutors have taken the Kobe Bryant case to the Colorado Supreme Court, saying the judge should not have granted a hearing on the sexual history of the woman accusing the NBA star of rape.

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Published 12:00 am, Thursday, March 11, 2004

At the very least, defense attorneys should be limited in what they can ask the 19-year-old alleged victim, prosecutors said in an appeal filed late Tuesday.

District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said if the hearing is allowed to continue as scheduled March 24-25, the woman will suffer irreparable harm by being forced to testify about private matters protected under the states rape-shield law. The law generally bars using the sexual history of alleged victims in court.

The high court could issue a decision as early as today, prosecution spokeswoman Krista Flannigan said.

Rusedski cleared in steroid case

LONDON  Greg Rusedski was cleared by an anti-doping panel Wednesday, the eighth player to fail a drug test yet be exonerated because he took supplements supplied by ATP trainers.

The 1997 U.S. Open runner-up tested positive for the steroid nandrolone at a tournament in Indianapolis in July, and he faced a two-year ban if found guilty.

Rusedski appeared Feb. 9 in Montreal before an independent anti-doping panel, which ruled "unanimously and unequivocally that Mr. Rusedski was not guilty of a doping offense."

Pac-10 drops charge against Washington

The University of Washington avoided major Pac-10 sanctions Wednesday when the conference dropped a significant charge in the gambling investigation that opened after former football coach Rick Neuheisel was fired.

The Pac-10 issued its final report in the case and accepted most of Washingtons self-imposed penalties while adding some additional lesser penalties.

Most significantly, Pac-10 investigators dropped the "failure to monitor" charge from a preliminary report issued late last year.

Rahlves wins downhill

SESTRIERE, Italy  American Daron Rahlves added to his finest season by winning the downhill at the World Cup Finals on Wednesday, while Bode Miller failed to score any points in his bid for the overall title.

The Austrian team had a big day, with Stephan Eberharter and Renate Goetschl moving into second place in the overall standings.

Rahlves charged down the 2.04-mile course in 1 minute, 51.88 seconds, securing second place in the final downhill standings. He beat Austrian Fritz Strobl by a tenth of a second. Eberharter was third in 1:52.01, and Miller finished 22nd in 1:54.12.

It was Rahlves eighth career World Cup win, all in speed events, and fourth victory of the season.

NASCAR penalizes Sauter

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.  Johnny Sauter was fined $10,000 and docked 25 Busch Series points by NASCAR for comments made during a postrace interview last week.

Sauter, racing full time in the Busch and Nextel Cup series this season, made his comments after being involved in a three-car crash late in the Busch race last Saturday that also included Matt Kenseth and Davey Blaney.

Sauter went on to finish 16th, while Kenseth, the reigning Cup champion and a part-time Busch driver, also continued and finished sixth behind winner Kevin Harvick.

Texas A&M coach resigns

DALLAS  Texas A&M mens basketball coach Melvin Watkins said Wednesday hes resigning after this season, ending a six-year tenure that bottomed out with an 0-16 conference record this season.

The announcement came on the eve of the Big 12 tournament. He said he wanted it out now instead of after the Aggies finish the season to avoid speculation distracting the team.

The Aggies (7-20) play Missouri in the first round tonight. Watkins said whenever A&M is eliminated, hell be done, too.

Swingley drops out of Iditarod

TAKOTNA, Alaska  Four-time winner Doug Swingley dropped out of the Iditarod Trial Sled Dog race Wednesday, saying he froze his corneas along a treacherous part of the trail.

The 50-year-old Lincoln, Mont., musher said he injured his eyes when he took off his goggles because they were fogging up going down the Dalzell Gorge two days ago coming into Rohn. The problem has worsened since.

Thirty-eight miles up the trail, three-time Iditarod winner Jeff King of Denali Park was the first musher out of the Ophir checkpoint Wednesday morning.

Four-time winner Martin Buser of Big Lake was right behind, departing seven minutes later. John Baker of Kotzebue was third.